Stiff Competition
by Hermione is a hottie
Summary: When Ukyo and Shampoo corner and suggest a competition that will end the rivalry for Ranma once and for all, Akane is faced with a dilema. To compete or not to compete, that is the question.
1. The Beginning

"A contest for Ranma? Are you insane?" Akane shook her head as she hurried to escape her two stalkers, otherwise known as the cute fiancées. Ukyo rolled her eyes and quickly caught up to Akane, grabbing the back of her shirt to stop her from running off.

"It'll be a competition to see who gets to marry Ranma honey once and for all! We all know he won't make a choice on his own!" Shampoo nodded beside the chef.

"Spatula girl right, Airen no make decisions. Is up to us!"

Akane pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head again, frown apparent on her face. "It doesn't change the fact that it's his decision to make. What if whoever wins isn't the one he wants to be with? What about then, doesn't his happiness matter at all?"

Ukyo frowned herself, "Of course it does, but it's been what, four years now? He needs to choose and we can't sit around waiting for him our entire lives. At least with this competition, the losers give up their claim on Ranma honey."

Akane's frown deepened as she looked between the amazon and the chef, ignoring the feeling that they were up to something. "Fine, what're the terms?"

Opening the door to complete silence, Akane removed her shoes and set about her mission of finding her reluctant fiancée to tell him about what she had officially dubbed The Encounter of the Worst Kind, as most encounters with Ukyo and Shampoo were. Checking the dojo, living room, and kitchen, Akane decided to head upstairs to see if he was taking a nap in his room or on the roof. Seeing no sign of him, the blue haired girl headed back downstairs with a frustrated sigh to see if she missed a room. Mentally checking off all the rooms that Ranma could possibly be in, she wandered in the direction of the bathroom, coming to a halt in front of the door. Quietly opening the door to the changing room, Akane noted that his clothes were in the hamper and the occupied sign was hanging on the door. About to close the door and head to the living room to wait for him to finish, a sudden thought struck the girl as she halted in her movement.

'What if Shampoo or Ukyo have already told him and they tried to turn it against me?'

Slipping into the dressing area, Akane shut the door behind her and slowly inched towards the shoji in front of her. Swallowing the hard lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, she squared her shoulders and reached her arm out to the door. As her hand moved closer, the door suddenly opened wide and Akane found herself face to face with her fiancée. Her towel clad, dripping wet, surprised, practically naked, and ridiculously attractive fiancée. Silently cursing the lump that once again formed in her throat, Akane froze eyes wide and her face and neck turning impressive shade of red. Ranma for his part looked taken aback, not quiet sure what to make of what was happening. Checking to see if he had indeed put the sign up, Ranma looked at the girl in front of him in confusion, wondering what the hell was going on. Upon seeing the blush upon her face, Ranma couldn't help but smirk as he "figured out" his fiancée's motives. Leaning against the door jam, Ranma regarded his betrothed.

"Sneaking peeks now, 'Kane? I thought you were above that…" Akane's face flushed even more and seemed to glow as she felt her eyes betray her and check out his form. Ranma, of course, noticed and his smirk grew even more.

"B..baka, it wasn't like that! I had to tell you something!!!!" The pigtailed boy raised a brow and held out his arms, gesturing to himself.

"Like how badly you want to see me naked?" Laughing quietly, he watched as Akane's blush deepened and she shook her head furiously.

"NO!!! It has nothing to do with me wanting to see you naked!!!"

Just when she thought her face couldn't get any brighter, she realized what she had said and felt as if her face would explode. Apparently Ranma thought so too, and as soon as he got over his shock that of course led to falling onto the floor laughing, he stood up, brushed himself off and smiled at the girl in front of him, wiping a few stray tears away. Shaking his head, he smiled at his flustered fiancée that was currently living up to her name and decided to give her a bit of a break.

"What's the problem Akane? What did you need to tell me?"

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down and to try to get her face back down to its original color, Akane began to tell Ranma about The Encounter. Judging by the look of pure surprise and disgust, she knew he knew he had no idea about the competition, omitting the fact that she agreed to compete and hoping he wouldn't ask. By the time the story had ended, she gave him a few moments to come to terms with all that he had just digested and decided to study her fingers intently. Frowning a bit, she stared at a freckle on the inside of her thumb and wondered how long it had been there. She was so busy contemplating what else she hadn't noticed, on her body and in her life, she only caught the end of Ranma's question. Snapping her head up, she looked at him in confusion and he just shook his head and repeated his question.

"What did you tell them? Did you agree to compete?" His frown was evident and she was reluctant to tell him the truth. She suddenly had the desire to study her fingers again, if only to have a reason not to look him in the eye.

"Well, you see…I maybe sort of agreed. But I can always back out!! I only agreed so that if I win, I could give you back your choice!! I know Shampoo and Ukyo wouldn't do that and would hold you to it, so I figured you might want someone on your side…" She was glaring at the mysterious freckle by the end of mini speech and started to chew on her lip intently, praying that he wouldn't be angry with her. She heard his sigh and was busy trying to decipher what it meant that she was startled when another hand was obscuring her view of her own. She barely had time to meet his eyes before he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you, Akane. I…I'm glad you told me and that you'll be fightin' for me. I…thanks…" She merely nodded her head and wedged her arms free from between their chests, wrapping them around his waist.

It was around midnight by the time Akane found herself flopping back into her bed and ready to sleep. After talking to Ranma, she felt a bit better about the competition and but was still a bit hesitant. After dinner, Akane debated what to do and finally settled on calling Nabiki for advice. After running downstairs for the cordless phone, she found herself seated on her bed and staring at the phone before. Heaving a sigh, she picked up and dialed her sister's cell phone, hoping Nabiki wasn't on a date or in one of her late night classes she seemed so fond of. The phone rang three times before the slightly agitated voice of the middle Tendo picked up.

"Nabiki Tendo."

"Hey, it's Akane. Are you busy?" Akane crossed her fingers and silently chanted "don't be busy, don't be busy" to herself. She heard her sister's mutter to someone to get out before she returning her attention to Akane.

"Not anymore. What's up, baby sister?"

Akane released another sigh. "Ukyo and Shampoo. They want to have a competition…" It didn't take much for Nabiki to catch on.

"And the prize is Ranma, right? I was wondering how long those bimbos would let him lead them on when he is so _obviously_ head over heels in love with you." Nabiki let out a laugh and Akane couldn't help but smile at the older girl's antics.

"Oi, but what do I do! I already agreed to compete and told Ranma about what was going on! I just wish there was a way to stop it!!!" She heard her sister make what sounded like "Hmm" and waited what she thought was patiently, but was really wasn't. Akane was about to ask what to do again when Nabiki spoke up.

"Does Aunty know? Because I doubt she'd let something like this go on, especially without her consent. All you have to do is tell her about the competition and let things go from there."

Akane blinked in surprise and wondered why she hadn't thought of that herself. Feeling a sudden rush a reassurance at the solution her sister had provided, she smiled and allowed Nabiki's change of subject.


	2. The Last Hope

Authors Note: I don't own Ranma ½. Sadly.

-Chapter 2-

Akane let out a frustrated sigh as her bangs drifted back into her eyes for the thousandth time. Making her way down the crowded street, she couldn't help but wish Nodoka Saotome lived closer to the dojo, if only to make her trek that much easier. Tucking the stray hair behind her ear yet _again_, the blue hair girl glanced over at her companion with a frown. He was walking with ease among the crowd, whistling a tune that he once said he learned in China. Dragging her eyes back the road before her, she chewed on her lip and considered the boy beside her, not noticing how the herd of people was beginning to thin out.

"We're almost there." The sound of Ranma's voice was startling, jerking her out of her thoughts. Shooting him a look of confusion, she found herself frowning again as he let out a chuckle and shook his head.

"Mom's house, we're almost there. Did you zone out or somethin' tomboy?" His tone was light and Akane just rolled her eyes and took in her surroundings. Sure enough, their destination was in sight.

"So we are. You ready, baka?" She said, nudging him lightly in the ribs and sticking out her tongue. He responded with an eye roll of his own and gave an exaggerated bow, one arm extended towards the house.

"Lead the way, my dear" was his response and he received a light tap on his head for it. With a pout, Ranma stood up straight again and turned his head with a little sniff. Giggling, Akane looped her arm through his and started walking again.

"Baka."

---

To say she was surprised at the sight before her was an understatement. Nodoka usually prided herself on being a poised and well mannered woman but when she opened her front door and was greeted with the sight of her son and Akane arm in arm and sporting matching grins, she couldn't help but gawk at them. This was not an everyday occurrence.

Ranma let out a chuckle and released his hold on his fiancée, hoping to steer his mother back into the house and out of her stupor. The sudden presence of his hand on her arm snapped her out of it and a brilliant smile found its way on her face. Stepping to the side, she gestured for the two to enter before ushering them towards the dining room.

"Come in, come in!"

The smile remained on her face as they walked to the dining room where she made sure Ranma and Akane were settled at the table before making her way into the kitchen. Moments later, she found herself sitting at the table and pouring tea for all of them. Setting the pot down, she carefully lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip while watching her guests do the same.

She cleared her throat as she gently placed her cup back down, eyeing them both. 

"As much as I'm pleased by this visit, I assume there is something you wish to discuss with me." She watched their reactions and noted how Akane toyed with the cup in her hands and Ranma squirmed in his seat, whether because he was nervous or uncomfortable she didn't know.

Akane was the first to speak up, her voice hesitant and unsure. "We were hoping you'd be able to help us, actually."

Nodoka nodded, "I had figured it was something along those lines. What is it that you need help with?"

Akane dropped her gaze to the tabletop, unable to meet the older woman's gaze. She knew she had nothing to be embarrassed about, but she couldn't help but feel guilty about the situation she suddenly found herself in. She glanced at Ranma out of the corner of her eye, hoping that he would understand and explain everything. He noticed and took her cue.

"Well, we sorta have this problem…Ucchan and Shampoo…there's gonna be this competition and we were kinda hopin' you'd be able to stop it…"

Nodoka frowned and found she was reluctant to ask, "What kind of competition?"

Ranma felt his face flush and found the tabletop interesting as well. Realizing she wasn't going to be getting an answer out of her son, she turned her gaze to the short haired girl beside him.

"Akane dear, what kind of competition." It wasn't a question and she hoped that the young woman before her would take the hint and just tell her. She did, but still wouldn't make eye contact.

Her answer was just barely above a whisper, but it was an answer none-the-less.

"A competition for Ranma."

Nodoka's eyes widened and she let out a little gasp. She certainly wasn't expecting that one, although she supposed she should have. She took a moment to calm the sudden flurry of thoughts racing through her mind before looking to the somber pair before her. She let out a sigh and shook her head, calling the attention of Ranma and Akane.

"I should have expected this, but I'm afraid I can't help you." Her response surprised them and Ranma paled in realization. For her part, Akane looked utterly lost and was just starting at her with those wide brown orbs that reminded Nodoka so much of the Tendo matriarch. It was her turn to look to the table.

"But…but why Auntie? It's not fair to Ranma!" Akane's voice was tinged with desperation and Nodoka understood why. It was probably going to be a marital competition with contests in cooking, sewing, cleaning and the likes, none of which were Akane's strong points. She looked up and gave the girl a sad smile.

"Ranma's had four years to decide on whom his bride would be, if he can't make the decision, someone else will have to. I'm sorry Akane, I really am but this has to go on. It's not fair for any of you to be lead on like this."

Akane rose suddenly, fists clenched at her sides and blue-black hair obscuring her face. "This contest isn't fair at all, Auntie." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears and Nodoka felt her heart go out to the girl before her.

"Akane…"

She turned on her heel and ran for the door, Ranma right behind her. She made it past the front door before he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his chest, one arm around her waist and the other tangled in her short hair. She wrapped her own arms around his waist and sobbed into his red silk shirt. He rested his head on hers and held her tightly to him, waiting for her sobs to cease and not noticing his mother watching from the doorway, the same sad smile on her face from before.

---

The walk back to the dojo was made in silence but for once Ranma found he didn't mind. The short visit gave him a lot to digest and as he walked down the empty streets with an arm around Akane, he tried to come to terms with what it meant for him, for them, if Akane didn't win.

The sudden presence of Akane's hand on his chest startled him out of his thoughts and caused him to stop walking. He placed his hand on hers, keeping it pinned to his chest as he turned to face her. He smiled at the light blush gracing her nose and raised a callous hand to cup her cheek. She stared up at him with wonder filled eyes and turned her face into his hand with a shy smile gracing her lips. She placed her free hand over his and turned her face into it, lightly kissing his palm. Ranma felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Akane…"

He bent down so that their foreheads were touching and released the hand on his chest, only to wrap that arm around her waist and pull her closer. Both their hands fell from her face, his moving to tangle itself in her hair and hers resting on his bicep, the other still sitting on his chest.

Ranma watched as Akane closed her eyes, her face drifting closer to his. He wearily closed his eyes; this was where they were usually interrupted by an angry fiancée, overly eager father or nosey sister.

He waited a few minutes before throwing caution to the wind and closing the distance between their lips. It was just a gentle press of lips, but that was all they needed. They broke apart but didn't stay that way for long. The second kiss contained all the heat and emotion that had repressed for last few years. Akane moved her arms to wrap around his neck and pressing herself even closer to his body, deepening the kiss.

So of course it was the perfect time for the entire NWC to walk around the corner and spot them, a lovely mix of astonishment, amusement and anger gracing their faces at the spectacle before them.

The sudden flare of a powerful battle aura was the only warning Ranma and Akane had before a blur of purple shot at them.

AN- Not my best, but this week has been chalk full of exams and papers up the wazoo. Anyway, hope you enjoy!


	3. The Confrontation

A/N – I don't own Ranma ½.

-Chapter 3-

He barely had time to release Akane from his arms before he felt himself moving forward, putting himself in front of his blue haired fiancée. As the angry purple blur reached him, he batted it away in a deceptively casual manner, much like a cat playing with a mouse.

Shampoo caught herself before falling, turning back to face the pair; her beautiful face was contorted with rage. She fell into fighting stance.

Her voice came out as an angry hiss, "Airen get out of way! I kill Pervert Girl!!"

Ranma frowned and moved back towards Akane a bit more, scanning the mob behind the amazon. It was just their luck that Ukyo and Ryoga were in attendance (although he sent a quick thanks up to whatever deity watching over him that the Kuno's weren't there). He eyed Mousse for a moment, trying to decide if the nearly-blind boy would help his beloved or them. A movement brought his gaze back to his third fiancée as she moved beside Shampoo, spatula in hand and a scowl gracing her face. He backed even closer to Akane, wearily watching as Ryoga snapped out of his stupor and stormed to Ukyo's side, opening his mouth to no doubt spill the same crap as usual.

He was so intent on trying to think of a way out that the sudden sound of Ukyo's voice surprised him, "Move Ranma, we'll deal with you once we teach that hussy a lesson."

---

Akane froze, unsure of what was going on or how to get out of it. She knew she shouldn't have kissed Ranma, but she had kept her distance for ages while the others pursued him. Sure she pounded him whenever she caught one of the other girls all over him, but she **never** made an attempt to hurt them! Her heart was thudding so loudly in her ears that she barely registered that Ryoga was talking.

The sudden feel of silk caressing her cheek and the overload of red startled her out of her thoughts. Ranma had moved closer to her, so close she could feel his body heat radiating off of him. She forced herself to breath, calming her racing heart enough to hear Ukyo's words. Slowly she felt the familiar ebb of anger rising, washing over her in barely restrained waves and replacing the fear. How dare they treat her like she had no right! Ranma was every bit as much her fiancé as theirs, more so even! She was outraged that they'd treat her like some slut that was moving in on someone else's man!

Ranma must have felt her budding fury because he stepped even closer so that his body was touching her own. It was his way of telling her to calm down, to remember the training he gave her. She acquiesced to his silent request and concentrated on channeling the anger and frustration raging through her.

Taking a deep breath, Akane placed a hand on his back lightly, a signal that she was going to fight; his muscles tensed in response. It took all her will power not to charge at the other girls, but some how she managed to move from behind Ranma, placing herself beside him. She leveled a glare at the group before her.

She prided herself in how calm her voice sounded, "I'm not going to fight you, **either** of you so I suggest you leave. You'll just have to wait until the competition for any sort of revenge you feel you deserve."

Akane frowned as the girls stared defiantly at her, daring her to make them obey. She felt her hands clench in an effort to refrain from violence but the urge to hit someone was almost too much to ignore.

She anxiously tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation and have everyone go their separate ways and a quick glance at Ranma said he was doing the same.

A quick moment of genius, or desperation if you will, struck and Akane released the death grip she had on her palms. Crossing her arms, she shifted so that she was the image of nonchalance. She raised a hand and examined her nails, lazily lifting her gaze just enough to view the fuming girls.

"Unless you want to finish it here and now…" She sounded bored with the idea, and that seemed to irk Ukyo and Shampoo. There was a tense silence that followed Akane's statement, and eventually Mousse walked forward, standing between the two sides.

He spoke slowly and carefully to ensure everyone would understand him, "The competition will commence. It is the only civil and fair way to decide which engagement will withstand." Shampoo moved to protest but he held up a hand to cut her off. "Ranma Saotome shall stay at the residence of his mother, and I will accompany him. The competition will be in a week, and I will send you each a letter detailing when and where it will be, and what each event shall encompass. If you happen to want to attack each other or use poison, you will automatically be disqualified from the competition. If that is all, I believe we should all go our separate ways and prepare."

He sent a sharp look to Shampoo and Ukyo, once again preventing any protests. Ukyo glared at Akane once more before returning her spatula to her back and walking off. Shampoo shot a nasty look at Mousse before storming off, stopping only to punch Ryoga into the sky in an effort to relieve her anger.

Ranma let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and turned to Mousse, relief washing over him in waves. He stepped over to nearly-blind man and held out his hand, shaking it when Mousse returned the gesture.

"Thanks man, I really appreciate you steppin' in like that."

Mouse scratched the back of his head, giving the two a small smile, "It was the least I could do. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

Akane nodded and moved to hug him, softly thanking him as she pulled away. She looked over at her fiancé, suddenly unsure of what to do. He gave her a smirk and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms. He pressed his lips against her forehead before moving down to place one on her lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand gripping his pigtail. She leaned into him and deepened the kiss before pulling away and resting her head on his chest. She smiled as he pressed a kiss on the top of her head and gently tugged his pigtail.

"You two should go, it's getting late."

Ranma nodded, giving her another quick kiss before releasing her from his arms. It was then that he noticed they were outside the dojo's gates, and the two men watched as Akane walked away.

They stood there for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts before Ranma gestured to the road.

"Ready?"

Mousse shrugged, "As ready as I'll ever be."

---

They were almost at the Saotome residence when Mousse spoke up, his curiosity no longer able to be ignored.

"How long has this been going on? Between you and Akane?"

Ranma blinked, unsure of how to answer as he clasped his fingers behind his head. "It's been a long time comin'. I mean, we don't fight that much anymore an' I've been trainin' her, ya know? I guess we've just got closer without realizin' it. I think we're finally comfortable with each other now…if that makes any sense to ya."

Mousse tilted his head to study what he once considered his mortal enemy. It was funny how things had changed in the past few years. He doubted he could pinpoint when Ranma stopped being competition and started being considered a friend, it was such a gradual and natural change. He smiled to himself and patted the other man on the shoulder, distractedly noting they were almost at their destination.

"I guess we've finally started growing up."

Ranma looked startled as he absorbed the statement, rolling it around in his brain as they stood in front of his mother's door.

He gently knocked on the door before turning to Mousse, a small astonished smile forming on his lips.

"Yea….I guess we finally are."

A/N-Sorry it took so long, but school takes a lot more time than I seem to have. Sorry this isn't the best chapter, but I'll try to make the next one better.


	4. The Battle Begins

A/N - I don't own Ranma ½.

-Chapter 4-

It was a week before Akane received her letter for the competition.

It was an unusually hot day out, and by the time Akane made it home from class all she wanted to do was collapse in bed and sleep. It was while she was depositing her keys and books that she noticed it.

The envelope was plain and white, her name scrawled out in red ink in Mousse's neat handwriting. With shaking hands she opened it, pulling out the folded paper. She sat on her bed, staring at the seemingly innocent sheet of paper in her hands, almost willing it to disappear, if only to save her from certain embarrassment and misery.

With a deep breath she opened it, her brown orbs scanning the letter. It read:

_Battle for the Ultimate Fiancée_

_In this competition to be the rightful fiancée of Ranma Saotome, a board of judges has been set up and has set the guidelines and rules for upcoming event. The judging panel consists of Nodoka Saotome, Ranma Saotome, Kasumi Tendo, Dr Tofu Ono and I, all of which are neutral parties. A week before each contest, I shall send each competitor a letter detailing what the next challenge will consist of. Each judge has chosen a subject they believe is crucial in a bride. This competition will go on for five weeks. You will find out what the next week event is once the previous contest is over._

_Challenge 1:_

_The first competition for Ranma's hand is to be held on Saturday, May 15 at noon in Furinkan High School. Each competitor is to master one dinner dish and dessert. All ingredients shall be supplied by the judges, so all competitors must send in a recipe and stick to it during the challenge. Any "special" herbs or potions will automatically count as cheating and get you disqualified. Meddling with a challenger's food shall also get you disqualified. _

_Good luck ladies._

_Mousse._

Akane bit her lip, worried about what she was going to do. So far the only upside was that there was a fair judging panel. She was so worried about what she should do that Akane nearly missed the small print the very bottom of her letter. It was a tiny note, in regular black ink and Ranma's familiar tiny, messy hand writing.

_Don't worry tomboy, I'm rootin for ya!! You can beat these girls no problem!! _

_Ranma_

She smiled, some of her anxiety melting away. Exhaustion decided to once again make itself known and with that Akane dragged herself up the stairs for a long overdue nap.

--

The next morning Akane set about researching a simple and delicious meal to make for the upcoming challenge. Sitting on the veranda she was surrounded by cook books, some Kasumi had collected over the years, others her mother once owned.

That was how Soun found his youngest daughter a few hours later, a notebook balanced precariously on her knee as she scribbled diligently. He smiled gently and went inside, coming back out a few moments later carrying a tray of cookies and milk, a tattered notebook tucked under his arm.

Placing the tray between them, he took a seat beside her and picked up the plate of cookies, holding them beneath her nose. He smiled at Akane's startled look and gestured to the morsels of chocolate chip goodness.

It was while they were sitting there, munching on the amazing cookies Kasumi had made that he finally called attention to the notebook. He placed it between them and nudged it in her direction. She took the hint and picked it up, gently turning it over in her hands for a moment, studying it. It was more like a journal than a notebook; the cover was made out of a worn but well loved brown leather that was soft to the touch. She opened it and took in the aging pages covered in a small, neat script that was vaguely familiar. She pushed the thought aside and flipped through the pages, realizing that this was a book of recipes.

She looked up at Soun, confusion blending with gratitude. She opened her mouth to thank him, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"It was your mother's. She spent years filling it up, putting all of her favorite recipes in it, and as soon as she had you girls, adding a few your favorite dishes as well. I figured you might like to have it, and maybe it'd be able to help you in some way…" His voice trailed off, choked with emotion. Akane gave her own watery smile before lunging at him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"Thank you, daddy." He just smiled and dropped a kiss on her head.

"Anytime." 

--

The day of the challenge came faster than Akane would've liked. The entire trip to Furinkan High School, she couldn't help but bemoan her fate and the fact that she would undoubtedly lose Ranma in the process.

Lost in her thoughts, she quickly made her trek to the high school and the sight of the familiar structure looming above her made her nervous in a way it never had before. Taking a deep breath, she silently made her way into the building and through the halls, her mother's recipe book clutched tightly in her arms.

She paused outside the home ec room, part of her hoping to wake up from this dream soon. Taking another breath, she raised a shaky hand to open the door when another grabbed hers. Turning sharply towards the offender, she came face to face with none other the Nabiki Tendo herself. With a loud squeal, she launched herself into her sister's arms. Nabiki just looked amused.

"What're you doing here?! Summer isn't for a few weeks yet!!!" Nabiki just laughed and wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulder, guiding her into the classroom. They stopped at the station with Akane's name on it.

"I told all of my professors that I had a family emergency and they let me take my finals early…with a little _gentle_ persuasion of course." The two girls giggled a bit (well, Nabiki really just smirked) before Akane sobered up. She looked down at her feet, shuffling a bit in a nervous gesture for a few seconds.

"I'm scared, Nabiki."

Before Nabiki could get a word in edgewise, chaos erupted. Simultaneously, Shampoo burst through the wall, spraying debris all over the Tendo girls as Kodachi came in through the window in a flourish of black rose petals. Making a much calmer entrance, Ukyo strolled in using the door.

Exasperation with the amazon and crazy gymnast consumed Akane as she tried to brush the dust and petals off of her. She shared a look with Ukyo as the taller girl passed by before realizing what she was doing and quickly pretended she was just scanning the room.

With a frown, Akane noted that all of her rivals were in battle garb and she couldn't help but look down at her own attire in worry. Should she have worn her gi instead of her dress? She voiced these worries to her sister, but the only response she received was a snort of amusement as Nabiki gave her a quick hug and a quiet "Good luck" before she excused herself.

It wasn't long before the judges entered the room, Ranma and Nabiki in tow. They were huddled in a circle, and Akane took that time to steal a glance at her fiancé. He noticed and shot her a quick smirk before turning his attention back to whatever it was that Mousse was saying.

Five minutes later and the competition was well underway, all five judges walking around each station, even peering over their shoulders to ensure no cheating was occurring. They were so serious about the cheating that Nabiki and a few of her associates were walking the perimeter, video cameras in hand, taping everything.

--

An few hours later and Akane found herself walking home with Nabiki, shock emanating from her in waves. She hadn't come in last and that fact alone amazed her. She was so oblivious of her surroundings that she would've walked past the dojo gates if her father and Mr Saotome hadn't jumped her, demanding results.

Blinking back her surprise, she shrugged her shoulders and walked past them leaving Nabiki to answer their endless supply of questions. She ran up the stairs, pausing only to slam her door shut before throwing herself down on her bed, arms spread out. She lay like that for a beat before sitting up straight, looking around her bedroom suspiciously. It was then she noticed the smirking face of her fiancé sitting in her chair, feet propped on top of her desk. She rolled her eyes, barely managing to hide the smile that so desperately wanted out.

"What're you doing here, Ranma?" Her words lacked the old sting as she stood up and

walked over to him, shoving his feet off her textbooks.

"What? Can't a guy visit his favorite fiancée?" Akane scoffed and not-so-gently rapped

him on the head.

"Why are you really here? You know the rules, baka." He shrugged and dodged her

attempt to hit him again. She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest in response.

Giving her a cocky grin, Ranma wrestled one of her arms free and laced their fingers

together, eyes softening just so.

"I wanted to say congratulations. I don't think anyone saw that coming."

She smiled shyly at him and took a small step closer to him, giving his fingers a gentle

squeeze as she did. His free hand found its way to the back of her neck and he pulled her

even closer, closing the gap between their bodies.

It was barely a moment that seemed an eternity and she decided she could kiss this

man forever. She pulled back before the kiss could get too deep and rested her forehead

against his. They stayed that way for a bit, just enjoying the other's presence and attempting to make up for lost time spent fighting and denying their feelings.

With a sigh Ranma stepped away and gave Akane his trademark smirk. He moved to the window and turned back to her, surprised to find her lips on his once more. Gone as quickly as they came, Ranma merely shook his head and smiled before jumping to the ground below.

She may not have won the competition, but 3rd place was certainly better than nothing. Who knew all that poison actually _**improved**_ Kodachi's cooking?

A/N- It's been a while since the last update and it's not the best, but I'm trying people!! I promise the next one will (hopefully) be better!


	5. The First Victory

A/N – I don't own Ranma. To clear up a bit of confusion, Kodachi won fourth place. I was going with the idea that Kodachi's cooking was so bad that all the poison she usually put in helped it in the past.

-Chapter 5-

Two and a half weeks after the first competition:

Life quickly went back to normal for Akane after the first competition. It became an endless cycle of waking up, going to class, eating, chatting with friends, homework, and sleeping. What little free time Akane actually had was dedicated to training with Ranma in what she considered a futile attempt to improve her skills.

Ranma disagreed.   A particularly gruesome round of exams had _finally _finished when Akane came home early one Monday afternoon. Pausing just long enough to grab the mail, she was casually flipping through it when a letter addressed to her caught her attention. Immediately recognizing Mousse's penmanship, she raced upstairs and haphazardly tossed her bag in the corner before throwing herself on the bed.

Relatively stable hands cautiously opened the envelope before slipping out the paper covered in red ink.   Reading it once, she flipped it over to look for any additional writing before reading through it once more. Standing, she walked to her desk and placed the letter on it gently before moving the few steps to her door. With a frown she turned, reread it and proceeded to head downstairs with her book bag in hand for what she knew would be a useless go at her homework.

--

"Akane?"

Soun Tendo stepped into his youngest daughter's room in the hopes of locating her. With no Akane in sight, he prepared to leave when a flash of white caught his attention. Moving closer he noted it was a piece of paper caught in the wind from the open window. Reaching out to grab it, he was about to put it back on the desk when he noticed it was about the competition.

Casting a furtive glance around, he decided it was safe to ease his curiosity. After all, he was an old man and that kind of suspense could just about kill him!! Nodding to himself and approving of his handy excuse, he set about to his mission.

_Battle for the Ultimate Fiancée_

_Challenge 2:_

_Hello Akane,_

_Good job on your victory in the first competition. Third place is an admirable win and I am very proud of you. As you may know, that was only the first of many competitions and the next one is quickly approaching. The judges have decided to have a one on one with each competitor, and your first appointment will be on Saturday at 12:30pm and go until 1:30. You will be meeting your first interviewer at the playground in the park on the bench marked with a star. Your next interviewer will be expecting you at 1:45, leaving you 15 minutes to make it to Dr Tofu's office. You MUST make it to Dr Tofu's at the appointed time or you will forfeit this contest. After your meeting, you will be given further directions. _

_Good luck!!_

_Mousse_

With a raised brow, Soun set the letter down and walked out wondering what the hell the duck boy had in mind for his little girl.

--

Saturday morning saw Akane setting out for the park dressed in a soft white sundress that just reached her knees. Accompanied by sandals and a nice baby blue cardigan, she was dressed to impress.

It was 12:15 when she reached the park and it would take even less time to find the designated meeting spot. Walking past the familiar old fountain, she caught a faint glimpse of purple hair making a mad dash in the direction of the clinic. The phrase "like a bat outta hell" quickly came to mind.

At 12:20, she spotted the bench and took a seat. Some of the children smiled up at her and she gave a small wave back.

12:30 came and went with no signs of the designated interviewer. One of the children, an adorable girl with what looked like a pink wig on her head, was watching her and whispering to her friends. Akane merely winked and gave soft smile.

At 12:45, Akane became worried and wondered if perhaps she read the letter wrong. Maybe it was tomorrow they were supposed to meet or maybe even next Saturday! She was so entrenched in these thoughts that she barely noticed the small hand tugging on the hem of her skirt. Looking up at her with a dirt-smudged face was the little pink haired girl, covered head to toe in sand and grass. Giving another smile, she absently noted the girl reminded her of Nabiki when they were little.

"Will you play with us?" Akane blinked. She could almost _hear_ the pout in the girl's voice. With another quick glance at her watch she shrugged. When the judge showed up she could make her way over there. Smiling at the little girl, she nodded.

"Of course, but I can only play for a little while. I have to meet someone soon." The girl nodded and gestured for the older woman to follow.

Upon reaching the sandbox, Akane smiled and waved at the other children. There were three of them, two little girls and a little boy. One of the girls smiled up at her with long brown hair in pigtails and even darker eyes. Her cute pink dress was covered in dirt. Sitting beside her and the little boy, Akane watched as they built tiny mounds for a few moments before speaking up.

"So what're your names?" The pink-wigged girl gave her an appraising look before sticking a pudgy hand out. "Yumi. Nice ta meet ya!"

Stifling a giggle, Akane took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. "I'm Akane and I'm very pleased to meet you." The girl in the pink dress poked her in the arm and gave her a wide smile.

"I'm Keiko and I think you're very pretty." Akane blushed before returning the compliment and moving her attention the other brunette besides Keiko. Her hair was tied back in a braid and she was wearing the cutest pair of overalls. The small girl beamed at Akane before introducing herself as Michi. Shaking her hand as well, it wasn't long before she looked to the little boy sitting grumpily beside her. His arms were crossed and his eyes were covered by a little black baseball cap. Clad in muddy jeans and what looked like a soccer jersey, he was absolutely adorable, even if he was ignoring her.

She bit her lip for a moment. "What's your name?"

He mumbled something in response and she turning questioning eyes to the now-giggling girls before her. Yumi spoke up, a mischievous grin dancing on her lips. "That's Mamoru. He doesn't like his name very much." Mamoru lifted his head just long enough to glare before turning his stare to the pile of sand in front of him.

Softly thanking Yumi, Akane bent her head so she was in Mamoru's line of vision. He looked startled as she gave him a charming smile and he started blushing. She let out a small giggle.

"I think you have a beautiful name. My favorite manga character has your name, you know. I always thought I'd like my prince charming to be named Mamoru!" It was the truth, or it had been once upon a time. But this little boy didn't have to know her real prince charming wasn't so charming and acted more like the wild horse he was named after than anything else.

He blushed deeper but he managed to give her a shy smile and it was good enough for now. Even if Yumi and Keiko were cackling in the background.

It was around 1:10 when Yumi started acting up. She yelled and screamed and started a fight with poor little Michi. It took Akane about five minutes to calm the children down, convincing them that digging the moat was more fun that pulling each other's hair. As they started to dig, small hands greedily grabbing fistfuls of sand, Akane spared a glance to the bench.

Empty.

With a shrug she set about doing her part to make "the best castle **ever**" (as Keiko had enthusiastically put it).

1:30 came quickly, and Akane nearly missed the small beep of her watch. With a sigh she informed the children she had to go. Almost immediately they latched on, begging her not to. With a smile she knelt down to give each of them a hug and promised to see them again. She stood to leave when Keiko cried out to her.

"Your dress!! It's all dirty and it's all our fault!!!" Michi nodded emphatically as they mourned the destruction of her dress and Akane looked down, surprised but smiling. She shrugged, "So it is. At least I'll be making a fashion statement!" She posed rather dramatically and earned a giggle from the girls and a snort from Mamoru.

A round of hugs later and a few promises she hoped she'd be able to keep and Akane was running down the street to Dr Tofu's. It was 1:44 as she burst in through the front door and threw herself on the sofa in the waiting room. Tofu stood there at the desk, a greeting dying on his lips as he stared at her with wide eyes and jaw looking like it wanted to hit the floor.

She didn't blame him; she supposed she looked a terrible mess. She took a moment to catch her breath before standing up. "Akane, what on earth happened to you?"

"Oh, I was playing with a couple of children in the park. May I use the restroom?" He nodded and waited for her to fix herself up (and oh, what a mess she was!! Covered in sweat and dirt, she did her best to remove it before giving into her fate of looking like hell warmed over) before leading her into the main exam room.

Ukyo and Shampoo sat on opposite exam beds, glaring at each other for all they were worth. Mousse sat on a small stool as he casually read a book, well out of reaching distance of both girls. Glancing up, he gave a startled look at her appearance before shaking his head, motioning her over. She walked the few feet to her rivals and the Chinese man and sat down beside Ukyo who barely acknowledged her.

The silence was suffocating and she desperately tried to make small talk with Mousse. It wasn't long before Dr Tofu joined and slowly but surely they coaxed Shampoo and Ukyo to loosen up a bit. Time passed surprisingly quickly as the small group discussed everything to recipes to martial arts techniques, startled when the maniacal cackle and flurry of black petals assaulted their senses.

Akane stood quickly and collided with Ukyo, both girls tumbling to the floor in a tangle of limbs and hair. A moment passed and the whirlwind settled found a bemused Kodachi staring down at the two girls and a giggle coming from the Shampoo. Looking down, she noted that Ukyo looked as confused as she felt before glancing at her hand.

Her hand that just so happened to be resting on Ukyo's breast.

A shriek from both girls and a rather comedic display of backpedaling and stammering of excuses had the room roaring in laughter (with only a minor incident of a nosebleed from Mousse). Ukyo was the first to regain her composure, standing and dusting off her pants with the faintest hint of red across her cheeks.

"Well, if that wasn't a Ran-chan moment then I don't know what is." Laughter started up again as Ukyo helped the still red-faced Akane up, both of which were trying desperately to keep a straight face.

Once everything had settled and Dr Tofu managed to clean up all of Kodachi's blasted petals, the crazy gymnast finally noticed the state of Akane's attire. With a smug grin, she opened her mouth to make some sort of disparaging comment when a commotion from the entrance distracted her. With weary glances to each other and the doorway, they stood and dropped into defensive stances in case of an attack.

A moment passed, then two when a voice, one that sounded eerily familiar to Akane, called out to Dr Tofu. The friendly doctor smiled and excused himself before disappearing through the door. Everyone relaxed and let out a collective breath, taking up their abandoned seats once again. It wasn't long before Dr Tofu returned, a group of four children in tow.

A group of four VERY familiar children, one of which was wearing a pink wig.

Akane was so surprised she barely heard the angry curses of Shampoo and Kodachi, nor did she hear Ukyo's confused, "What the hell?". She was about to run over the kids and say hi when Mousse walked forward and stood in their way, arms spread to prevent anyone from passing. Confusion took over and she was about to ask what was going on when Kodachi shot forward, making an angry beeline to the kids, ribbons twirling furiously in the air.

He moved too quickly to see but the next thing Akane knew, Kodachi was tied to a chair by her own ribbon, a gag firmly in place. He ignored her angry glare and turned to Shampoo, almost daring her to try the same. There was a moment when it looked like the two Amazons were going to come to blows when Shampoo just crossed her arms and turned away. Ukyo shrugged before turning to Mousse, but he was now talking to the children in a quiet murmur as Dr Tofu made his way to the far side of the exam room.

Ukyo sidled up to Akane, confusion evident on her features. "What the hell is going on here?" Akane shrugged and opened her mouth to respond when Mousse straightened and turned to them once more.

"I'm sure you all recognize the faces behind me and I suppose I have some explaining to d-"

"WHAT DEMON CHILDREN DOING HERE, DUCKBOY!!!" Mousse's speech was cut short by Shampoo's angry explosion, startling a tiny shriek out of Akane. She glanced around furtively to see if anyone had noticed but gleeful snickers from Yumi and Mamoru proved they had.

It looked like a brawl was about to occur when Dr Tofu's calm voice wafted over from the supply closet before he made his back over to the group. "These aren't children, they were your interviewers, Shampoo."

Akane opened her mouth to ask for an explanation when he showed the group what was in his hands. Inside a small bowl were four mushrooms, each somewhere between twenty and forty-some odd centimeters. With a gasp, she whirled around to stare back at the children just as Yumi was pulling off her wig. Very distinct brown hair and sly, cunning eyes looked out at the group as "Yumi" made her way to the good doctor and took the second smallest mushroom. With a wink and salute, she downed it.

The reaction was instantaneous and cute little Yumi shot up a few feet and gained curves that were Nabiki through and through. A muffled gasp came from Kodachi and it was all Akane could do not to faint as Nabiki winked again, looking entirely too comfortable in the now miniscule clothing. Looking behind her sister, she saw Keiko's transformation into Kasumi as Michi ate the longest mushroom and reverted back to Nodoka, both of which dashed off to the bathroom. All eyes were on Mamoru, trying to figure out who he would turn out to be. The cocky grin he threw at them as he sauntered over to Dr. Tofu gave her the answer moments before even ate the remaining mushroom.

It felt as if time stood still as Ranma casually tossed off the tiny hat and pulled off the tiny clothes, leaving him in only his boxers before Mousse handed him a pair of black pants and a red silk shirt.

Nodoka and Kasumi emerged from the bathroom in proper clothes just as Ranma was buttoning up his shirt, much to the dismay of the girls before him.

Nodoka moved to stand in front of the fiancées and gave each a soft smile. "Today's competition was to see how well each of you were with children. While it may not e fair that you didn't receive fair warning, please keep in mind that your own children will not give you that curteousy either. Today gave myself and the other judges a good bit of insight as to how comfortable you are around other people's children, and just a hint of how you will be as a parent." At the sound of Shampoo's inevitable protest, she merely held up a hand that immediately quieted the girl.

"Yes, I know you all are still young and children are a long way off but it was still a competition. We judged you on your ability to handle a child acting up," Nabiki gave a rather dramatic bow, "and how well you interacted with them. Now, we have deliberated and our decision is in. In fourth place is Kodachi, mostly because of your attempt to tie us up and leave us hanging from a tree branch, dear. It's nothing personal." Nodoka sent her a weak smile, receiving nothing but a harsh glare in return.

Glancing at the three remaining girls, Nodoka let her gaze settle on Shampoo before speaking again.

"Shampoo, you come in at third place the verbal abuse and hitting Nabiki, rather Yumi, on the head multiple times and Mamoru for defending her. Second place goes to Ukyo, because while you were nice to the children you did lose your temper rather easily and just barely restrained yourself from hurting Yumi during her temper tantrum. And that leaves you, Akane."

All eyes shot to the youngest Tendo, three sets of eyes looking at her in shock. "Akane, you were patient and calmed the children easily and with the skill of a natural. Not once did you raise your voice or your fists. You were magnificent and will be a wonderful mother one day." Blushing under the unexpected praise, Akane barely heard Nabiki's announcement of having recorded the competition in case anyone wanted to dispute the results.

She was in her own little world until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she registered the owner as Kasumi. Offering a quiet congratulations, Akane watched her oldest sister walk over to Dr. Tofu as everyone began filling out of the office, Nabiki being hounded the others for a copy of the video.

Akane moved to leave when she felt a presence behind her and warm breathe on the back of her neck. She smiled and tilted her head back, brown eyes meeting blue.

"Walk me home, Mamoru?" He snorted but offered his arm, a small smile gracing his face. She giggled as she took it, her victory over the other girls leaving her in a giddy.

"You're such a gentleman, Mamo-chan!!"

Another snort and an eye roll. "Whatever, tomboy."

--

They were halfway back to the dojo when Ranma stopped and looked over at her with what could only be described as mischevious look. Akane eyed him wearily as he took a step closer, a smirk firmly in place. 

"So I guess this makes me your Prince Charming, right?" A whap on the head and her laughter was his only response.


End file.
